Killysprint

chevette HSR - if  I remember correctly Vauxhall only did 7 road going cars.....

with the 2.6 motor must have been unique!!

CLS 55 - 5.4 L V8 supercharged 500hp+

Love the chevette, and the cavalier sri130.

My dad had a black one as a company car in the mid eighties. at the time we thought is was like Concorde!!

Ok here's my two pence worth

Mini 1275 GT 74

Mini 1275 GT 80

Triumph Dolomite Sprint 80

Mini 1000 82

Triumph Dolomite Sprint 77

Rover 216 GTi 92

Citroen ZX Volcane 94

Citroen Zantia TD 95

Golf GTI 16v mk3 96

MGF 96

MGF VVC 96

another xantia

Porsche 968 Sport 94

Porsche 993 C2 95

Porsche 993 C4S 97

Renault Laguna estate "the skip" 99

Morris Mini Cooper s 67 built the day before I was born

Nissan Primera GT 00

Range rover vogue 3.9 manual 

Saab 9-3 turbo SE

Porsche 996 C2 Cab 01

Peugeot 306 Gti6 01

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 RSII 02

Seat Alhambra 02

Golf R32 5dr mk 4 04

Volvo xc90 d5 03 - complete with telly's and play station for the kids

Ford Focus mk1 1.6 04

Saab 9-3 cab auto 07 - possibly the worst car I've ever had

Ford Galaxy zetec 07

Mondeo titanium x 07

Triumph Dolomite Sprint 76 - still have this 180hp flies!

Peugeot 205 Gti 2.0 16v 87

Porsche 996 Turbo S 05

Porsche 968 Clubsport 93

Mazda mx5 1.8iS 04

Mercedes e350 estate 11

Volvo v60 d4 11

Nissan Leaf 14

BMW M5 e61 Touring 07

Honda S2000 09 - about to be supercharged

Mercedes c350e estate hybrid 17

Lexus ISF 11

I would wait a couple of weeks yet.....

According to the Met Office - we have more chance of snow at easter than we do at Christmas.

In the past couple of years I generally take the winters off during the first or second week of March. You can generally see the weather trend for a fortnight ahead - so at that time you can see through to the end of the month.  Temperatures then generally will be high enough, and any cold spells wont last.....

I changed front discs and pads last week, and noticed that there was quite a bit of fading / lacquer peel on the Calipers.

Anybody had the same problem? Did you have the Calipers painted or powder coated? If they were painted were they on the car or off? Any advice on which is best and why? 

And finally any ideas where to get them done? I need to get them sorted as they're making my teeth itch!!!!

cheers

Dec/abs unit and abs sensors (unique to the touring) - £3500

front springs - £700

throttle actuators on both banks and coil packs - £2750

wirng on the tailgate (and disgnosis) and new Battery - £1000

car was an 07 - bought in March 2014

8 minutes ago, Tom24 said:

£8500 in 2 years! 

What went wrong with it and how old was the car when you bought it? 

20 hours ago, Rusty Crobar said:

The LS is a very different car to an F or M5 and not really a drivers car, I'm sure it's a very lovely thing in its own right though. Reliablity would worry me with an M5 but they are epic!

I ran an e61 m5 as a daily before my isf. Epic epic car. What you have to remember  is that when new they were £65k+ and like any other 500hp performance car in that price bracket - bills are substantial.

i bought mine with just under 35k on the clock and did 20k in 2 years.

servicing costs were the same as the isf, a major around the £900 mark, brakes £750 an axle, fuel consumption 11-13 in town, no better than 24 on a run.

its the extras as big rat says that could be a potential nightmare. Mine had £8500 of warranty claims in time I had it. The warranty was around £130 pcm, and allowed me to sleep at night!

would I have another - yes, in a heartbeat, if I could find the right car, and the only with the full warranty. 

Don't get me wrong, my isf has been a revelation, and to some its appeal is not immediately apparent, but it is a great car, and hasn't spent a second longer than necessary off the road than recommended by Lexus, which is a big plus over the m5. However, there could be a replacement on the horizon, drove the new Alfa guila quatrofaglio today - wow. It's on another level. Even the OH was impressed.

Performance wise I was very surprised - it was extremely quick, the OH thought is was on par if not quicker than my old 996 turbo s. 

havent decided 100% if I'll change but if I do - the Alfa will be the car 

pics below of the m5

52 minutes ago, gumball3000 said:

What year did they get the clocks upgrade to the large rev counter ?

I like the rear spoiler tho :-)

MY11 

1. And in this order.... Reliability, Rarity, Size

2. Sharp VCR clock, more grunt, more noise (switchable exhaust would be nice)

3. Alfa Guila cloverleaf (test driving one tomorrow......), GSF, M3 

On 24/12/2016 at 10:00 AM, steve2006 said:

Does anyone own this particular ISF which was used a few years ago by Lexus for their Open Road Day promotions?

I waited nearly all day to have a test drive in this car which along with the LS600h was only permitted with a qualified race driver sat with you.

The professional driver first took control and drove it like a race car along the local public roads then it was my turn at a much reduced pace.

How many times it was driven by potential customers I don't know but it certainly had a hard early life during the tour.

It's mine!

Bought it earlier this year and gets driven like it was designed too as much as possible. 

If it did have a tough early life - it doesn't show, cosmetically or mechanically!! It's Only done 30k miles, and has a impeccable FLSH.

I'm very pleased so far with the isf - it is certainly a grower, bags and bags of character.

As said in the other replies I'd try another dealer.

I bought my car from an independent dealer earlier this year, contacted Lexus warranty to see if there was an used car warranty still active - there wasn't. So I went to the local dealer, Lexus Newcastle, with all the service history (it has a full lexus sh) etc - bought the warranty there and then no problem, couldn't have been more helpful to be honest.

From what I've read though - I'm not expecting to use it, I only bought it for peace of mind, unlike the one on my previous M5........and much cheaper too!!

17 hours ago, CharlieC said:

How`s the clearance on the fronts,any rubbing on full lock?

Rubs a little - only on full lock and on the side where the rear of the wheel is nearest the inside of the wheel arch and is under load.

Not enough to be a concern. Bought the wheels 2nd hand, the guy who had them before me ran 265 width tyres on his isf without rolling arches etc.

Had mine fitted today - quite like them!!

19"x10J Linea corse 818, with 255/35 19 Bridgestone blizzaks on all wheels

drives really well.

I've ran winter tyres  for about the last 10 winters or so - all on rear drive cars, the last one being an m5.

When the temp drops, and if the white stuff doesn't arrive they still make a big difference. Grip, ride and braking feel is greatly improved over summer performance tyres.

my last 2 cars, the m5 and an e350 merc ran michelin super sports and conti sport contacts respectively - great tyres for spirited driving in the spring and summer, but in the very limited experience I had in both in the snow were pathetic. Looking at the tread pattern the grooves in the tyre primarily run radially, great for shifting water, but offer no purchase in snow or slush.

the winters on both were conti winter contacts - lots of tread blocks, radial and lateral tread, and little chines on each tread block that are supposed to grip the snow. Whatever they transformed each car - the merc I ran through the winter of 2011-12 travelling daily into the middle of Northumberland for work, and  it never once felt as if the car was out of control. I used the tyres on the car for 3 winters, and they still have enough tread (5mm+)to be used again - probably did 18-20k miles on them changing back to summers in late march.

So for me they are a absolute no brainer - I've already got my wheels 10 x19 linea corse lc818 rims and 265/30 Bridgestone blizzaks all round  to go on. 

Should not only be able to handle anything the winter throws our way, but should look good too.

Hi

ive been lurking for quite a while, having looked at changing to an isf early last year, and thought I'd say hello, as I've bought bought an ISF.

Finally took the plunge and picked up my car on Saturday. I had a decent drive from Chichester home to Newcastle to get myself used to the car, and first impressions, have been very very good. Great noise from the engine, smooth gearbox, fantastic cruiser, comfortable seats and a Decent turn of speed.

the car is 2011 car with dab and LSD, velvet black with white leather, and only 29000 miles.

It replaces a much loved BMW e61 M5 Touring, which was an epic car, but quite fragile. Even though it never let me down, in the last 6 weeks of ownership, the warranty company coughed up the thick end of £4k in repairs, and I thought my luck was running out, so off it went.

after 2 years and 24500 miles , depreciation was £0, so I can't complain.  

So the ISF has an hard act to follow, both cars are extremely rare, only about 200 examples of each were originally imported. I can remember seeing an isf 3 or 4 years ago, and that's it, so the rarity factor, along with the q car, quite understated looks is the main appeal of the car, as well as the reputation for utter reliability.

So 2 days into ownership I'm happy with my choice, and I'm looking forward to a enjoyable and un eventful couple of years with the car.

ill post some pics once I've cleaned it up after the drive home.

Hello all

Been lurking for a while.

Similar to the OP I'm looking to change to an ISF, moving from a v10 m5 touring.

Have been away on business and spied a Mesa red car 12 plate at an independent dealer in Sheffield whilst I was away, and was going to contact them this week on my return, it now seems they could sell it and it's now with lexus in Sheffield advertised for £2k more.

I understand that they will stick an official warranty on it, but a lift of £2k on the previous price - is this not a bit rich?

Is the car known to the forum? What should I be careful with when I'm looking ?

Thanks in advance

Tim